Occurrence of Poecilochirus austroasiaticus (Acari: Parasitidae) in forensic autopsies and its application on postmortem interval estimation

Despite the fact that mites were used at the dawn of forensic entomology to elucidate the postmortem interval, their use in current cases remains quite low for procedural reasons such as inadequate taxonomic knowledge. A special interest is focused on the phoretic stages of some mite species, because the phoront-host specificity allows us to deduce in many occasions the presence of the carrier (usually Diptera or Coleoptera) although it has not been seen in the sampling performed in situ or in the autopsy room. In this article, we describe two cases where Poecilochirus austroasiaticus Vitzthum (Acari: Parasitidae) was sampled in the autopsy room. In the first case, we could sample the host, Thanatophilus ruficornis (Küster) (Coleoptera: Silphidae), which was still carrying phoretic stages of the mite on the body. That attachment allowed, by observing starvation/feeding periods as a function of the digestive tract filling, the establishment of chronological cycles of phoretic behavior, showing maximum peaks of phoronts during arrival and departure from the corpse and the lowest values in the phase of host feeding. From the sarcosaprophagous fauna, we were able to determine in this case a minimum postmortem interval of 10 days. In the second case, we found no Silphidae at the place where the corpse was found or at the autopsy, but a postmortem interval of 13 days could be established by the high specificity of this interspecific relationship and the departure from the corpse of this family of Coleoptera.

Insects on decomposing carcasses of small rodents in a secondary forest in Southeastern Brazil

The decomposition of small carcasses in the open is frequently neglected although it may provide information of forensic importance. This paper describes an experimental study of arthropod species associated with carcasses of mouse, Mus musculus (Linnaeus, 1758) and rat, Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout, 1769) (Rodentia: Muridae). Four carcasses were left inside iron cages in sunlit and shady areas in a secondary forest in Southeastern Brazil twice a season for four seasons (n = 16 carcasses of each rodent). The carcasses were removed when arthropods ceased to visit them. The visiting and colonizing invertebrates were collected daily and identified. Immatures were also collected and reared in a laboratory for identification. We collected 6,514 arthropods (820 adults and 5,694 juvenile forms) belonging to 53 species from the families Sarcophagidae, Calliphoridae, Muscidae, Fanniidae, Syrphidae, Richardiidae, Sepsidae, Micropezidae, Otitidae, Drosophilidae, Phoridae, Dolichopodidae, Anthomyiidae, Asilidae and Lauxaniidae (Diptera), Formicidae, Ichneumonidae, Encyrtidae and Apidae (Hymenoptera), Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) and Gonyleptidae (Opiliones). Lucilia eximia (Wiedemann, 1819) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and Peckia (Pattonella) intermutans (Walker, 1861) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) deserve special attention because both adult and immature forms were collected in all seasons and in both areas. Our results indicate that the frequency of occurrence of these arthropods was positively associated with carcass size (mouse or rat); no marked insect succession on the carcasses occurred; and the diversity of Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae was high, irrespective of season.

Fauna In Decline: Meek Shall Inherit.

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Effects of human trampling on a rocky shore fauna on the Sao Paulo coast, southeastern Brazil

Increased tourist activity in coastal regions demands management strategies to reduce impacts on rocky shores. The highly populated coastal areas in southeastern Brazil are an example of degradation caused by development of industry and tourism. Among different shore impacts, trampling has been intensively studied, and may represent a significant source of stress for intertidal fauna. A randomised blocks design was applied to experimentally study the effects of two different trampling intensities on richness, diversity, density and biomass of the rocky shore fauna of Obuseiro beach, Guarujá, southeastern Brazil. Blocks were distributed in two portions of the intertidal zone, dominated respectively by Chthamalus bisinuatus (Cirripedia) and Isognomon bicolor (Bivalvia). Blocks were trampled over three months, simulating the vacation period in Brazil and were monitored for the following nine months. Results indicate that Chthamalus bisinuatus is vulnerable to trampling impacts. Richness, diversity and turn-over index tended to be higher in trampled plots four months after trampling ceased. In general, results agree with previous trampling studies, suggesting that even low intensities of trampling may cause some impact on intertidal communities. Management strategies should include isolation of sensitive areas, construction of boardwalks, visitor education and monitoring programmes. In Brazil, additional data obtained from experimental studies are necessary in order to achieve a better understanding of trampling impacts on rocky shore communities.

A comparison of the leaf-litter ant fauna in a secondary atlantic forest with an adjacent pine plantation in southeastern Brazil

We investigated the influence of Pinus afforestation on the structure of leaf-litter ant communities in the southeastern Brazilian Atlantic Forest, studying an old secondary forest and a nearly 30 year-old never managed Pinus elliottii reforested area. A total of 12,826 individual ants distributed among 95 species and 32 genera were obtained from 50 1 m² samples/ habitat. Of these, 60 species were recorded in the pine plantation and 82 in the area of Atlantic forest; almost 50% of the species found in the secondary forest area were also present in the pine plantation. The number of species per sample was significantly higher in the secondary forest than in the pine plantation. Forest-adapted taxa are the most responsible for ant species richness differences between areas, and the pine plantation is richer in species classified as soil or litter omnivorous-dominants. The specialized ant predators registered in the pine plantation, as seven Dacetini, two Basiceros, two Attini and two Discothyrea, belong to widely distributed species. The NMDS (non-metric multidimensional scaling) ordination also suggested strong differences in similarity among samples of the two areas. Furthermore, this analysis indicated higher sample heterogeneity in the secondary forest, with two clusters of species, while in the pine plantation the species belong to a single cluster. We applied the ant mosaic hypothesis to explain the distribution of the leaf-litter fauna and spatial autocorrelation tests among samples. We argue that the results are likely related to differences in quality and distribution of the leaf-litter between the pine plantation and the secondary area.

Estudo da fauna de triatomíneos e da ocorrência de doença de Chagas em Monte Negro, Rondônia, Brasil

A doença de Chagas tem como agente etiológico o Trypanossoma cruzi, um protozoário flagelado que pode ser encontrado numa grande variedade de mamíferos e triatomíneos. O Estado de Rondônia, localizado na Amazônia Ocidental, possui um meio ambiente constantemente modificado pelas ações transformadoras do ser humano, resultando em um desequilíbrio, que pode facilitar a transmissão de inúmeros patógenos. Uma grande variedade e quantidade de palmáceas, em especial o babaçu, bem como mamíferos e triatomíneos, podem ser encontrados neste complexo ecossistema. Nesta pesquisa, a fauna de triatomíneos foi identificada em 225 babaçus e por meio de capturas peri e intradomiciliares. Foi realizado, concomitantemente, estudo de soroprevalência para doença de Chagas e a identificação da presença de T.cruzi no trato digestivo dos triatomíneos. Positividade ao T. cruzi foi verificada em 23,7% dos 652 triatomíneos coletados nos babaçus. Estes triatomíneos pertenciam ao gênero Rhodnius e foram classificados em 4 espécies: R. robustus, R. prolixus, R. pictipes e R. milesi. Nas capturas intradomiciliares, dez espécimes do Rhodnius robustus e uma de Panstrongylus geniculattus foram encontrados, sendo que 3% da população foi positiva para doença de Chagas. Na área pesquisada, há potencial de transmissão da doença de Chagas na forma endêmica devido a grande quantidade de triatomíneos, bem como alta freqüência de infecção destes triatomíneos, porém no momento deste estudo não se evidenciou a ocorrência da transmissão.

Ocorrência de Nyssomyia intermedia (Lutz & Neiva) (Diptera: Psychodidae) e fauna associada, no Paraná

Nyssomyia intermedia s. lat. tem sido citada por vários autores no Paraná. No entanto, alguns estudos apontam que esse táxon corresponde a Nyssomyia neivai (Pinto). Em coletas realizadas em galinheiro e em ambiente de mata, com armadilhas, entre novembro de 2005 e outubro de 2006, em Adrianópolis, Morretes e Pontal do Paraná, localizados na região de Mata Atlântica na Serra do Mar e no litoral do Paraná, sete fêmeas de Nyssomyia intermedia s. str. (Lutz & Neiva) foram encontradas juntamente com outras 14 espécies de flo ebotomíneos, confirmando a ocorrência de N.intermedia em área de costa e de mata Atlântica do Paraná.

Phlebotomine fauna (Diptera: Psychodidae) of an American cutaneous leishmaniasis endemic area in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

The occurrence of an outbreak of cutaneous leishmaniasis associated with Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis in the municipality of Bela Vista, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, and the absence of information on its vectors in this area led the authors to undertake captures of phlebotomine sand flies, using Shannon traps and automatic CDC light traps, in domiciles, forested areas and animal shelters from February 2004-January 2006. A total of 808 specimens belonging to 18 sandfly species have been identified: Bichromomyia flaviscutellata,Brumptomyia avellari, Brumptomyia brumpti, Brumptomyia sp, Evandromyia aldafalcaoae, Evandromyia cortelezzii, Evandromyia evandroi, Evandromyia lenti, Evandromyia teratodes, Evandromyia termitophila, Lutzomyia longipalpis, Nyssomyia whitmani, Pintomyia christenseni, Psathyromyia aragaoi, Psathyromyia campograndensis, Psathyromyia punctigeniculata, Psathyromyia shannoni and Sciopemyia sordellii. The presence of Lu. longipalpis, Ny. whitmani and Bi. flaviscutellata, vectors of Leishmania chagasi, Leishmania braziliensis and L. amazonensis, respectively, has increased.

Culicídeos em bromélias: diversidade de fauna segundo influência antrópica, litoral de São Paulo

OBJETIVO: Comparar a diversidade da fauna de culicídeos em bromélias de solo segundo ambientes urbano, periurbano e mata primitiva. MÉTODOS: O estudo foi realizado no município de Ilhabela, litoral norte do estado de São Paulo, em tanques de bromélias de ambientes urbano, periurbano e mata. Realizaram-se coletas de imaturos quinzenalmente, de março de 1998 a julho de 1999. A presença e freqüência de espécies nos diferentes ambientes foram comparadas com base em estimativas da diversidade para medir a riqueza, dominância e análise de variância (ANOVA). RESULTADOS: Coletaram-se 31.134 formas imaturas de mosquitos nas bromélias, distribuídas em sete gêneros e 37 espécies. O ambiente urbano registrou maior abundância, 14.575 indivíduos, seguido do periurbano com 10.987, e a mata, com o menor número de exemplares, 5.572. Foram coletadas 30 espécies no habitat urbano, 32 no periurbano e 33 na mata. As espécies dominantes foram Culex (Microculex) pleuristriatus nos ambientes urbano e periurbano, e Culex ocellatus na mata. De acordo com teste ANOVA a freqüência de mosquitos em bromélias não foi diferente entre os ambientes pesquisados (F=0,5564; p=0,5769). A diversidade de espécies na mata foi maior, e semelhante entre periurbano e urbano. CONCLUSÕES: A composição específica de culicídeos em bromélias de solo mostrou-se diversificada, sendo maior naquelas de ambiente de mata. As espécies dominantes foram Cx. (Mcx.) pleuristriatus e Cx. ocellatus.

Levantamento da fauna de Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) em ambiente domiciliar e infecção natural por Trypanosomatidae no Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul

Entre 2000 a 2004, foi realizado levantamento da fauna de Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) e exame de infecção natural por Trypanosomatidae, no Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul. Um total de 13.671 espécimes foram capturados. Na análise faunística das espécies capturadas, Triatoma sordida foi caracterizada como muito abundante, muito freqüente, constante e dominante. Os índices de infecção natural para Trypanosoma cruzi apresentaram os valores de 3,2% para Panstrongylus geniculatus, 0,6% para Rhodnius neglectus e 0,1% para Triatoma sordida, apesar do Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul apresentar-se livre da transmissão vetorial endêmica.

TAXONOMIC POSITION OF GUIRATINGIA MENDESI (MEGADESMIDAE) AND THE EVOLUTION OF PERMIAN ENDEMIC BIVALVE FAUNA OF THE PARANA BASIN, BRAZIL

The unusual bivalve Guiratingia mendesi is redescribed from the original material. Detailed analysis of hinge and muscle scars allows more refined designation of its taxonomic position and affinities to other Permian bivalves from the Parana Basin. Guiratingia mendesi is characterized by very small, anteriorly expanded shells, with a great number of muscle striae within the area delimited by the pallial line. A flattened area is noted alongside the commissure of shell. The presence of a triangular blunt tooth in the right valve allows its designation to Megadesmidae. The absence of accessory muscle scars ""a"" and ""b"" and pedal elevator indicate that the genus belongs to the Plesiocyprinellinae, a group of bivalves considered endemic to the Passa Dois Group. Guiratingia mendesi is found, however, in limestones of the Palermo Formation (Middle Artinskian), nearly 100 in below the base of the Irati Formation (Late Artinskian). Until now, it was believed that within the Permian succession of Parana Basin, pre-Irati bivalves were all gondwanic or cosmopolitan. Guiratingia mendesi was an endemic, active burrower that resembles Runnegariella fragilis from the Permian Teresina Formation. This indicates that during Palermo times restricted paleogeographic conditions have existed within the huge Parana epeiric sea, favoring endemicity, probably in marine bayments close to its margins. The presence of an anteriorly expanded shell in G mendesi is a condition also seen in other Mesozoic and Cenozoic anomalodesmatans, demonstrating the recurrence of shell forms in distinct lineages of this interesting group of bivalves.

Exploration of the acarine fauna on coconut palm in Brazil with emphasis on Aceria guerreronis (Acari : Eriophyidae) and its natural enemies

Coconut is an important crop in tropical and subtropical regions. Among the mites that infest coconut palms, Aceria guerreronis Keifer is economically the most important. We conducted surveys throughout the coconut growing areas of Brazil. Samples were taken from attached coconuts, leaflets, fallen coconuts and inflorescences of coconut palms in 112 localities aiming to determine the Occurrence and the distribution of phytophagous mites, particularly A. guerreronis, and associated natural enemies. Aceria guerreronis was the most abundant phytophagous mite followed by Steneotarsonemus concavuscutum Lofego & Gondim Jr. and Steneotarsonemus furcatus De Leon (Tarsonemidae). Infestation by A. guerreronis was recorded in 87% of the visited localities. About 81% of all predatory mites belonged to the family Phytoseiidae, mainly represented by Neoseiulus paspalivorus De Leon, Neoseiulus baraki Athias-Henriot and Amblyseius largoensis Muma; 12% were Ascidae, mainly Proctolaelaps bickleyi Bram, Proctolaelaps sp nov and Lasioseius subterraneus Chant. Neoseiulus paspalivorus and N. baraki were the most abundant predators on attached coconuts. Ascidae were predominant on fallen coconuts, while A. largoensis was predominant on leaflets; no mites were found on branches of inflorescences. Leaflets harboured higher mite diversity than the attached coconuts. Mite diversity was the highest in the state Para and on palms surrounded by seasonal forests and Amazonian rain-forests. Neoseiulus paspalivorus, N. baraki and P. bickleyi were identified as the most promising predators of A. guerreronis. Analyses of the influence of climatic factors revealed that dry ambient conditions favour the establishment of A. guerreronis. Neoseiulus paspalivorus and N. baraki have differing climatic requirements; the former being more abundant in warm and dry areas, the latter prevailing ill moderately tempered and humid areas. We discuss the significance of our findings for natural and biological control of A. guerreronis.

Fauna of plant-parasitic nematodes in natural and cultivated areas of the Amazon forest, Mato Grosso State, Brazil

The aim of this work was to study the diversity of the fauna of plant-parasitic nematodes in preserved areas of the Amazon forest, Mato Grosso state (MT), and to assess the effect of agricultural land use on plant-parasitic nematode communities. Soil and root samples were collected in each location in the late spring during the rainy season of 2005, in two areas of primary vegetation in Nova Maringa (Northwest) and Guaranta do Norte (North) and two adjacent areas planted with teak trees (Tectona grandis) and pasture (Brachiaria brizantha). Four-teen taxa of plant-parasitic nematodes were identified at species level: Discocriconemella degrissei, D. limitanea, Dolichodorus minor, Helicotylenchus erythrinae, H. pseudorobustus, Meloidogyne exigua, M javanica, Mesocriconema ornata, Paratrichodorus minor, Pratylenchus loosi, P zeae, Rotylenchus caudaphasmidius, Xiphinema ensiculiferum and X luci (for the first report of this in Brazil) and five at genus level (Atalodera sp., Hemicriconemoides sp., Meloidogyne sp., Paratylenchus sp., and Trophotylenchulus sp). These taxa, mainly those from primary vegetation, belong to families with different parasitic behavior, probably due to great plant diversity in the Amazon forest. Comparison between the two preserved areas revealed low index of similarity, as a consequence of the endemic flora in the Amazon forest, and no similarity was observed between preserved native vegetation and adjacent cultivated areas, demonstrating the high influence of agricultural activity on the plant-parasitic nematode communities. There is evidence of recent introduction of plant-parasitic nematodes in these cultivated areas; therefore measures should be taken to prevent the loss of economic sustainability in Amazonian soils. Keywords: abundance, Amazonia, diversity, Brachiaria brizantha, plant-parasitic nematode fauna, Tectona grandis.

Effects of pasture implantation on the termite (Isoptera) fauna in the Central Brazilian Savanna (Cerrado)

The advance of agricultural frontier may cause the Cerrado (Brazilian savanna) to disappear before 2030. This work focuses on measuring the impact of pasture implantation on a cerrado`s termite fauna. Termites were sampled in a cerrado sensu stricto and a pasture, originally cerrado. All species were classified as their feeder group, accumulation curves were made and Shannon-Wiener indexes and beta diversity were calculated for both areas. Cerrado was richer than pasture and species composition differed considerably, leading beta diversity to a high value. The humivorous was the most representative species, followed by grass/litter feeders, xylophagous and, less representative, the intermediates. There were more xylophagous and intermediates species on cerrado than in pasture; the grass/litter feeders were more abundant in pasture, but didn`t differed in number or species; and humivorous didn`t differed neither in richness nor in abundance. This work shows that the simplification of the habitat is indeed causing the extinction of populations that depend on some specifics resource.